


After The Flash

by GiraffeRobot3000



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Art, Bombing, Edgy, F/M, Gay, Humor, I Don't Know Where This Is Going, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Magic, Multi, Original Character(s), Post-Apocalypse, Theft, Winter Stop Stalking Me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-03-29 15:57:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19023178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GiraffeRobot3000/pseuds/GiraffeRobot3000
Summary: In the year 2052, the world is turned upside down, back into the old ages. Cracked dirt and acid rain is all that remains of the old beauty of the world. But somehow, even in these times of hardness, love finds it's was in forms of odd families made up of people that have lost a home. Niko is a girl who was just trying to make it work in this hell-hole of a world, but it's not so easy when you've got magic powers.





	1. I Aint No Fortunate Son

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever post, so some critical thinking would be very thankful! I'm trying to get better at writing, but I've got a long way to go...

They're just over here!," Hushed whispers blew through the air, as soldiered men in gas masks trotted silently through a dark alley in the night. The gleaming moon glistened against their eye panes, as they crouched across the clearing, where a girl and a boy were sitting in the cold.

The kids were covered in dirt and dust, obviously used to outdoor life. The girl, who looked older, at about ten years of age, was wearing just scraps of black to cover her pale skin, with knotted blonde locks cascading down her shoulders. Her blue eyes held only the emotion of cold and hopelessness as she tried harder to make the cloth holding her grow.

The younger boy, who only looked to be five, was in better shape. He has more clothes then the girl, and it was obvious it was because she wanted him to be warm. He donned a large sweater, which he had shrunk into, like a turtle into a shell. Only his head poked up, light brown skin with a black shag of hair on top. His eyes were closed, in an apparent sleep. Staring at the poor kids, it almost made the soldiers forget their job and hand them a jacket. Almost.

The commanding officer signaled, and the group surrounded the children. Guns pointed up, as if they would run in the first place. The boy was no longer asleep.

A dip in the formation let a slim man with slicked-back hair enter up to the pair. He crouched down next to them, inspecting their terrorized faces.

"Don't be afraid," He said softly, but in the odd type of softness that sent shivers down your spine.

"We're going to give you a nice home.. Full of warmth and food, and you'll even get something special, courtesy of me,"

The children stated for a moment, their gaze shifting from fear to confusion, as blue and green stared into brown. The two only sat for a minute, though, as the pair was scooped up by some soldiers, carrying them firefighter style, trying to ignore the kicking as the kids realized they had no idea what was happening next.


	2. Have You Ever Felt Those Southern Nights?

_ Two Years Later _

 

Dawn broke across the clouds as light softly dribbled into Niko's room. Grumbling, she pulled her army green blanket over her head, trying to ward off the early morning rays. For a moment, she lied on her bed, engulfing the warmth of the thick blanket. 

Then, as quickly as the moment had come, it had passed as Niko realized it was, indeed, time to get going. She pushed off of her bed, and looked around for her sweater.

Downstairs from Niko and her father's apartment is their restaurant. It wasn't anything special, but it was one of the only up-and-running restaurants that wasn't half-buried and reeking radiation. She washed the plates, and was also a waiter, which was a surprise for some new-comers to see a twelve year old girl taking their order of tomato soup. Her dad did the rest; cooking, money organization, renovation (when needed) and every other grown-up task that had to be done. After Niko had brushed her blonde bob back and got dressed, she could go help downstairs.

To no surprise, her dad was working on making breakfast in a frying pan- eggs and hash browns (with some bacon mixed in!) Niko set the table for him, after giving him a good morning hug, of course.

Niko's father was a big guy- he had brownish-red skin with very dark brown hair- almost passing as black. It was an odd mix to see them walking down the street, a white kid with a large Indian man. Niko always passed it up that her mom was more like her whenever anyone stared too long- even though she's never really met her mother.

After the pair had eaten breakfast, (and cleaned up the plates) they prepared for a day at The Soup Shark- the name of their restaurant. Niko would throw on an apron over her white sweater and jeans, with just socks on- the ground was clean, and she was careful to never spill, so she felt comfortable just wearing socks. But, she made sure to stay away from the front door, in case someone tracked in mud. An up side of wearing socks was whenever business was slow, she could slide around the shiny wood floors for fun, occasionally getting claps from the people sitting.

The door sign was flipped to open, and the wait began. Niko stood at a podium in the front to show people to seats and get menus, so behind the eyes of others she would hide a sketchbook and pencil. One thing Niko really enjoyed was drawing. She would always doodle characters from any TV show on, or come up with her own shining knight in armour. Next to her sketchbook was a radio.

 Another thing she enjoyed was music. Old songs were her favorite, from random time periods. Songs from the older times always played on it, luckily; somehow the stations had been able to find old abandoned music, along with older, more famous music. The radio had newscasts for emergencies or anything of importance. Usually calling about a bombing, The Greens or any sightings of The Reds.

Niko clicked on the radio, and opened her sketchbook.

_ “Southern nights.....” _

Niko hummed along with the song, looking up for something to draw. The glass door and windows were allowing a long range of the outside, but the view from the first floor wasn't as good as the second floor view. Just streets and buildings and passer-byes rushing through the streets. Old cars or pickup trucks passed through the roads, the drivers looking both in a rush and like they had no place to go at the same time. Niko looked back down into her sketchbook and started to draw a pickup truck.

After a while, a few car drawings in with only one or two customers, the doorbell rang as the door was opened. Niko looked at the time- 11:43. Lunch rush. She closed her book, and grabbed her menus escorting the first couple to a table. There was no time for drawing now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was a bit longer, but there's more coming, don't worry!  
> Edit: Hi Samantha!


	3. And The Walls Kept Tumbling Down In The City That We Love

After a long day at The Soup Shark, all Niko wanted to do was go to bed. After cleaning up and getting everything ready to go to bed, she finally fell asleep at ten. 

She woke up again at two from the sound of airplanes.

Niko didn't think anything of it at first, until a commotion went up outside. She was awake enough to go over to her window and look out. Desert, the family's small, tan dog rubbed against her leg, with sleepy eyes.

People crowded in the streets, pointing up at the sky with worry. The once comforting hum of the airplane turned into an unsettling drone. Niko knew something was up.

Quickly, she dressed into her snow outfit, a red windbreaker, white snow pants, and boots. Under that, she had her shirt and sweater, and jeans underneath her snow pants. Nothing she couldn't take off easy if it was just the town drunks.

Just to be sure, Niko grabbed her backpack, that had her sketchbook and radio, as well as supplies and her Shockbreaker taser, tucked away. That decision was the most important decision in her life.

As Niko stepped outside, Desert following, she got a closer look at the planes. Large, metal blocks in the sky, puffing more unneeded smoke into the air. And there, underneath the wings, was the US military airstrike logo.  _ The Greens! _

Niko knew she had to run inside, get her dad, get any needed supplies, but the planes were overhead, and the  _ PUSCD  _ was already handing out civilian masks, pushing them to the middle of the street. People rushed in and out of buildings, trying to find anybody, but no one had entered her home.  _ My dad's in there! Someone! _

Finally, after eternity, a soldier rushed into the shop. And that's when the whistling came. A soft crescendo as Niko watched in horror as the bomb was dropped down down down onto The Soup Shark.

Screams and cries and explosions surrounded the area as another bomb was dropped on the city capital, close to her home. Fires burned in the buildings, carrying to other buildings, grey smoke mixed with the dark auburn air, creating a horribly beautiful art piece that was all that was left of Niko's family and future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't very popular, but I enjoy writing out my story for at least some of the world, so I'm going to keep going.


	4. Clowns To The Left Of Me / Jokers To The Right

Niko was ushered away in shock. Hands were placed on her shoulder as she and so many others were pushed into the bank, the most secure building. She barely struggled, not believing herself. Her entire world was on fire.

After too long the doors opened, as light brown suits came and started picking people out- family of the dead.

 "Betty Mulligan," A young woman stepped up first.

The soldier lay a hand on her trembling shoulder and whispered a name that no one could hear but her. The secret that played between the two of them made her face drop, and let out a dry sob, as she was ushered outside.

It was funny, Niko thought, how someone's name could mean so little and too much in certain situations. They went through the list, and about 1/8 of the town was outside- about 100 people. 

Niko was called closer to the end.

"Niko Slider,"  Niko was barely awake when she was called, pulled from sleepiness to wide awake. She quietly got up, grabbing her bag, and trudged up to the man who had replaced the other soldier on roster duty. She had gone to stand out with the others when a name appeared on the list that she remembered.

 "I'm so sorry," He muttered to her.

 Niko didn't listen to hear his name. Her dad was her only relative. She knew who it was. She pushed through the doors before the name appeared on his tongue, leaving him to stare as she ran to the desolate remains of the old run-down soup shop she called home.

Her home wasn't the only place bombed- city hall, right next to the shop was in ruins, and people were crowded around there, mourning loved ones that were lost.

Based on the fact that there was smoke rising from different parts of the city and that other soldiers were positioned, showing people down the eastern road towards the smoke, they had tried to take down the  _ PUSCD _ 's city base too.

When Niko got up to the shop, she noticed the soldier doing the first round of death roster there, staring morbidly at the remains while people in large yellow suits dug around the heap. There was a line of guards still around this site, wearing masks, and advising people to not stand so close, since all the toxic waste hadn't been cleared yet.

Niko went up to stand by the woman, startling her slightly.

"Oh.. hello," It felt an odd greeting, an  _ “Oh hey, your dad's corpse is in there!” _ , but she politely nodded back.

For a moment, there wasn't any talk. It wasn't silent, though, since the gas masks made whirring noises when they breathed, like the old Star Wars character Darth Vader, and there was people walking, and soldiers pointing directions, and rubble getting moved by the yellow aliens in the site, and people crying softly, little sobs to remind everyone something big happened here today.

 "Was he your friend, the soldier that ran in there?" Niko finally asked, breaking the not-talk going on between the two. She sighed heavily. 

"We were more than friends," Her face turned dark.

“We were engaged, to have our wedding in March, "

 "...I'm sorry," She turned back to the barely recognizable soup shop she called home.

 "You, too," The soldier replied. A soft grin played on her face. 

"We used to come here every now and again for a special date night, when we both had night guard off," Niko watched her face light up as the memory played in her head like an old cassette tape. 

"The first time we came here, I couldn't believe it was all ran by a dad and his daughter, but when you first came sliding around the corner on socks, asking if we'd like to know the soup of the day, like you'd rehearsed the line thousands of times in the mirror, I knew this would be a place we would return to,”

Niko remembered that. Not that date in particular- many young couples had come into their small abode, but she remembered practicing the line in the mirror, about how the soup of the day was clam chowder, and “ _ Would you like to see our sandwiches, as well? _ ”

"And, oh, the food, your father is... Your father was a good cook," She was pulled from her memories, a pause button on the old cassette player, as the tape was pulled out and smashed in two.

 "I don't know what I'm going to do without him," Niko said. It was the first time she had thought about it- she quite literally didn't have a home to go to, and although  _ PUSCD _ would try to get everyone they could help, they didn't have time to help one measly orphan.

_ Orphan. _

The words rang in her head.  _ It can't be true.  _

_ But it is.  _ She sighed a deep sigh.

_ I'm up there with Oliver Twist now. _

"...I know a place, " The soldier blocked her train of thought.

 "It's down south a bit, still in the SouthSide, but more outskirts... It's a refuge center, called SSRC, designed for people like you. I've met the owner, and he's quite a nice guy," She smiled softly again at this.

"He said that when he first came to Canada, he had a hard time, with money and other sorts needed to survive this day and age. But he got help from a friend he had made and built the place from the ground up, to help people to not have to go through what he did,"

 Niko smiled a little, too.

"He sounds nice,"


End file.
